April 15 2017

KEAllen

Hello,
Is anyone on the 4-15-17 trip northbound? Originally we pre-booked trip southbound and then Tauck switched it out. Any idea why?

AlanS

Well, not sure what is going on, but according to the website, the MS Treasures is booked for both Northbound AND Southbound trips on 4/8, 4/15, and 4/22 in 2017! You might want to give Tauck a call. I suspect the website is AFU.

KEAllen

I saw this too. I am confused and will clarify it with our travel agent. I think it must be due to Brussels airport.

Kathy0529

KEAllen,

Where did you see the change? I'm booked on the April 8th - Southbound and know that Brussels is off the itinerary and we're now departing out of Amsterdam in stead of Brussels.

I looked at the website and didn't see a change, nor on my reservation info on this page.

KEAllen

Our travel agent told us they switched the trip to northbound. They also put us in a different hotel for when we land a couple of days early. Which I think might still be in Amsterdam. I think we still go to Brussels tho. Do we take a train from Amsterdam to Brussels to start the trip? Will have to see our travel agent & start looking into plane tickets. Are yours bought?

Kathy0529

I really hope my itinerary doesn't change because I'm going 2 days early to stay in Amsterdam and I'm looking forward to the Sofitel Grand hotel that Tauck has us booked in.

I checked on the Northbound itinerary and it says they transfer you from Amsterdam airport (or train station) to Antwerp. No Brussels on either direction. It's about an 1.5 hr travel time.

Since people arrive at different times Tauck usually has private drivers transport you to the hotel or boat. If they have people arriving at or around the same time, then you may be w/a small group of people in the same van, which was my case when I went to Australia/New Zealand w/Tauck. On the London/Paris trip, it was just myself and my 2 travel companions in the vehicle.

I go thru Tauck to book my tours. I did the air on my own for London/Paris because I used miles. For Amsterdam, I booked thru Tauck, but if I saw the fare cheaper, then I could buy it on my own and cancel w/them. I pay for air at the time my balance is due. Tauck had the better price so I had them put it on my reservation. I have my seats selected! :-)

If you handle the air on your own or thru Tauck directly, the great thing is they still handle your transfers.

KEAllen

Kathy,
Thanks so much for your info and feedback on traveling with Tauck. This is our first trip both with them and on a river cruise. I see we are flying intoout Amsterdam but the cruise is starting in Antwerp. I will have our travel agent check air fare rates options. We are now staying at a different hotel, I think in Amsterdam still, but not Sofitel. I checked the hotel website and the price seems half what I am being charged from Tauck. Not sure if this is due to type of room or if Tauck includes breakfast which the website does not. I plan to ask our travel agent about the reason for the price difference. Have you encountered this? If Tauck takes care of all transfers and this is included only if we use the hotel thru their booking it is probably worth it then. I can't wait!

British

KEAllen wrote:

Kathy,
Thanks so much for your info and feedback on traveling with Tauck. This is our first trip both with them and on a river cruise. I see we are flying intoout Amsterdam but the cruise is starting in Antwerp. I will have our travel agent check air fare rates options. We are now staying at a different hotel, I think in Amsterdam still, but not Sofitel. I checked the hotel website and the price seems half what I am being charged from Tauck. Not sure if this is due to type of room or if Tauck includes breakfast which the website does not. I plan to ask our travel agent about the reason for the price difference. Have you encountered this? If Tauck takes care of all transfers and this is included only if we use the hotel thru their booking it is probably worth it then. I can't wait!

Hi, when you stay at the pre-stay hotel that Tauc uses, it always includes transport from the airport, all tips and porterage and breakfast. You might also get a welcome letter from your tour director which could have suggestions for restaurants and site seeing. Have you thoroughly explored the tour info on this website, pulling down all the tabs on the page for your particular tour? There is a wealth of info there that maybe your travel agent ha failed to tell you or does not understand, such as the benefits of staying in the Tauck hotel. Often, their flights are a good deal too, not having to pay up front for them. We also always book directly with Tauck. Have you used this travel agent before? They seem a little lacking in Tauck knowledge, are you sure the agent didn't switch the tour and not Tauck. If I were you, I would be calling Tauck, not getting information second hand.

Claudia Sails

Tauck will take care of the transfer from the airport to whichever hotel you prefer and communicate to them. And they will take care of transfers from the Tauck hotel to the ship. Transfers include both you and your luggage.

If you stay at a different hotel than the Tauck one you have to take care of tipping the bellhop, maids, etc and for your own transfer either to the ship or to the Tauck hotel at the time the group there will be picked up. Usually 1-2 of the Tour Directors are at the Tauck hotel the morning of the cruise start to answer questions, etc.

Yes, breakfast is included in the Tauck rates along with the tipping I mentioned above and sometimes other benefits like use of some hotel facilities if there is an extra charge for them. One reason the rates may be different is Tauck negotiates them a year or more prior to the tour. If rates have gone down you may be able to book it cheaper yourself. Remember, you need to tip the staff yourself if you book your own room.

Tauck isn't usually the cheapest option for booking your airfare but remember their rates include more flexibility change and refund policies.

If you do book your own air travel and hotel stay, make sure Tauck is informed well in advance.

British

I am a little confused by Claudia's info. At one time, Tauck definitely said that they would only do a transfer from the airport to a Tauck contracted hotel. Last year, when we booked a tour, there were no vacancies in the pre-stay hotel, so we had to book another hotel ourselves, but it happened to be the final hotel that Tauck was staying in, and only about a mile from the first hotel. Initially the agent said that Tauck would not collect us from the airport because it was not their pre -stay hotel and that their contract with the transport people were only with the Tauck hotels. It was only when I pointed out that the hotel we had booked ourselves was a Tauck hotel that they agreed to transfer us. We booked the trip well in advance of departure, but the hotels in Italy are small and a wedding had booked all the extra rooms, I guess that is why our tour was the only tour of the entire season that was not full, it kept showing full then vacancies on and off until we went, I guess everyone was finding out there were no pre-stay rooms available, and then it was still a small group, smallest we have ever had.
Are you now saying that Tauck really will take people from the airport to any hotel?

Claudia Sails

British, you could be right. We've never put it to the test. Know they won't transfer you to the ship from a different hotel or pay for you to go to the Tauck hotel from a location other than the specified airports or train stations. They also specify that if you arrange your own airfare to make sure they know at least 3 weeks prior you flight details if you want to be picked up.

Seems like someone else here on the forum said this and I just tucked it away without researching. I know one gentleman on our last cruise stayed at the Sofitel but booked his own room at a cheaper rate and he was picked up by Tauck. Hmmm